A Time to Live
by Mythe
Summary: A ninja from another time joins Braska's pilgrimage. ***Game SPOILERS*** This is a Mary Sue character x Auron pairing.


Disclaimers: Final Fantasy X and all it's characters, places, and situations are © copyright 2001 Square Co. Ltd. I'm only borrowing them to tell a story. Will return them when the story is done. THIS IS A MARY SUE x AURON STORY.  
  
Now the character Kinu and her background story belong to me. Don't take her without my permission.  
  
Spoiler alert: Contains spoilers through till the end of the game.  
  
  
  
A TIME TO LIVE  
  
By  
  
Mythe  
  
  
  
An exhausted Kinu fell face first into the ground sending a cloud of dust into the air. This average stature, dark haired Ninja with an olive complexion remained where she was feeling the effects of an intense battle on her sore and battered body. She released a throatily groan and her eyes finally flickered open to reveal a pair of intense gray eyes. After perceiving that an intricately designed katana with a unique Jade colored blade was lying a few feet away she grumbled. "Humph."  
  
Realizing that she had better get up before the scavengers arrive to loot the dead Kinu reluctantly pushed herself up. She rose to her feet minding her sore ribs and the throbbing sensation that seemed to radiate on the left side of her abdomen. Kinu's athletic 5' 6" frame was clad in a dark blue shinobi shozoko that at the moment had been caked in bloody gore. She placed a hand to her throbbing side then brought her fingers up and noticed fresh blood upon them. "Damn it," she grumbled while walking over to retrieve her discarded katana.  
  
Once Kinu sheathed her blade she proceeded to leave the gory battlefield the lone victor and the last of the Raven Clan. All about her were the bodies of fallen friends that now lay entangled with the their defeated foes. Her heart ached at not giving them a proper burial, but she knew that another wave of Mongolians led by Khan would be arriving at any moment. For in the end she knew there would be a time later to mourn them. Alas, her foremost priority right now was self-preservation.  
  
After deciding that she was at a safe enough distance away Kinu had seat next to an ivy leaf maple tree. She brought up her water skin, finished off the remaining swallow then leaned her head back. Part of her wanted to rest while the other reminded her that she needed to stitch her wound up before she bled to death. "All right… all right," she groaned. "First aid then sleep." Ultimately Kinu got off her duff and walked over to the stream that just happened to be within walking distance to where she was.  
  
"Am I lucky or what?" she chuckled then heard a strange sound of crackling while she was filling her water skin up. "What the?" Kinu uttered just as her eyes widened upon finally noticing the swirling vortex that was amassing above her. The ninja's instincts screamed at her to get the hell out of there, but it was a moment too late for the strange anomaly abruptly sucked her up a second later. "NO!"  
  
  
  
~~~ X ~~~  
  
  
  
The next thing Kinu knew was that she now lay on a bed of sand. Her body still ached like hell, but now her head was throbbing too. "Just great…" she muttered to herself and soon realized that she was currently on a sandy beach, "now where the hell am I?" As she slowly climbed to her unsteady feet Kinu heard the sound of a battle nearby. And without a second thought she rushed towards the disturbance with her weapon drawn.  
  
After passing over a sandy dune Kinu noticed two men who were busy fending off three strange looking monsters while a forth, a large machine looking thing was bombarding them with exploding projectiles. "Out of the frying pan…" she grumbled and charged towards the machine.  
  
Auron killed the Aqua Flan with a vertical strike then turned his attention to the approaching Iguion while dodging the YAT-99's explosive rounds. "Escape Lord Braska!" he shouted defecting a blow meant for his summoner.  
  
"Auron, I'm not going to leave you!" Braska replied as he over killed a Bat Eye with a thunder spell. After he had caste a cura spell towards his guardian whom was the moment working on the remaining Iguion the summoner then focused his attention on the YAT-99. "By any chance…" he observed that another was attacking it, "do you know of any female warriors dressed in dark blue?"  
  
"No, my Lord." Auron deflected another blow, "Why do you ask?"  
  
"It seems that we have a comrade in arms," the summoner explained as he downed a healing potion.  
  
Kinu struck the machine with an oblique upward strike and a downward strike before retreating. Unfortunately she miscalculated the distance in between and was sent flying once it had rammed into her. Landing hard on her back she was winded and out of breath. With another unexpected boost of energy the ninja leapt up to her feet just as the thing was suddenly struck by lightning.  
  
"Holy shit!" She gasped and was sent back by the after effects of the blow. Rolling onto all fours she dizzily looked over just in time to notice a red blur pass by. Kinu watched in awe as the warrior struck the fatal blow causing the machine to collapsed in pieces before her. Glad that the thing was finally defeated she tried to get up, but her overly exhausted body protested and she fell over in pain. "Damn it!"  
  
"Easy," Braska assured as he knelt at her side. "My name is Braska and this is my guardian Auron." He gestured towards his approaching companion in red while pulling out some potions. "We're going help you."  
  
"Kinu…" she said assessing them both. "W-where am I?"  
  
"The city of Bevelle," Braska answered with a raised brow. "Now, can you tell me where it hurts?"  
  
"Both sides of my ribs… lower abdomen… left side," Kinu informed, adding. "Oh and my head is killing me as well."  
  
"Seems there's a tip of a blade embedded inside," the summoner informed while prodding the stab wound. "I don't have the necessary tools to remove it without damaging you further." He secretly wondered where she had sustained this wound for she hadn't done so in their prior battle. Braska sat his thoughts to the side and decided that it would be wise of them to take her to a more secure location. "This may burn a little," he advised and poured some potion onto the gaping wound as to temporarily halt the bleeding.  
  
Kinu growled out in pain when whatever he had poured on her abused flesh burned like hell and abruptly bit her tongue from the obscenities that threatened to spill out. "W-what did you…"  
  
"It's a healing potion," Braska said then held out the potion to his companion. "Give her the rest."  
  
Taking the offered bottle Auron helped raise their patient's head up while his summoner felt her ribcage for any broken bones. "Drink," he said simply and brought it to her lips. Observing that Kinu was greedily finishing it off he warned his summoner, "My Lord it's not safe here."  
  
"I know," the summoner acknowledged with a nod and noticed the glazed over look that Kinu gave him. "Let's take her to my place."  
  
The constant pain that Kinu had been experiencing prior was now dulled and the overwhelming urge to sleep finally lulled her in.  
  
"Mind her ribs," Braska advised. "Seems that a few are cracked."  
  
Auron nodded while reaching over Kinu's body and proceeded to sheathe her discarded katana. Carefully he lifted their now sleeping patient into his arms and followed his summoner off the beach.  
  
  
  
~~~ X ~~~  
  
  
  
Kinu groggily awoke from her dreamless dreams and soon comprehended the fact that she was now lying in a very comfortable bed. Yet, she made no attempt to get up. She only pulled out her arms from the thick comforter as to stretch her sore muscles when she felt her now wrapped ribs protesting. Lifting the blanket up a bit the ninja noticed that she was wearing a large t-shirt with the words 'I luv daddy' scribbled across the chest. A lopsided smile played on her relaxed features just as she heard the sound of laughter coming from the other room. And now being awake and all Kinu decided to go investigate it.  
  
  
  
Crawling on all fours in the living room was Auron. Atop his back was a giggling seven-year-old who at the moment believed that he was her horsy. "Go faster Uncle Auron!" she nudged him on. "Go! GO! Go!"  
  
"Now hold on Yuna," he advised feeling her tighten her hold on his robe. Auron picked up his pace as he journeyed around the perimeter of the living room one final time before coming to a halt. "Times up little one."  
  
"Aw!"  
  
"You know it's past your bedtime."  
  
"Uncle Auron," Yuna climbed off her favorite playmate and proceeded to look up at him with a pair of sad puppy dog eyes. "Can't I say awake just a little bit longer?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
"But why?"  
  
"Because you need your beauty rest that's why," he explained picking her up and tossing her into the air. "And I need to check on our sleeping patient."  
  
"WEE!" Overcome with the giggles an ecstatic Yuna landed in the loving arms of her uncle. "Can I help? Pretty PLEASE?"  
  
"No silly," Auron grinned at her. "It's bedtime for you."  
  
"But…"  
  
"No butts about it young lady," he said teasingly and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "You don't want me to get in trouble with your daddy now do you?"  
  
"No," Yuna pouted when she suddenly noticed from the corner of her eye a figure leaning against the doorway. "HI!" she greeted the lady dressed in the very shirt that she had made for her father a year ago.  
  
"Good," Auron said following Yuna's gaze and locked eyes with their silent voyeur. He was slightly annoyed that a stranger had witnessed this intimate part of him and gave her a menacing glare before turning his attention back to Yuna. "Yuna, go hop into bed and I'll be there in a minute to tuck you in," he suggested and sat her down.  
  
"All right Uncle Auron," Yuna nodded then turned to face the grinning lady. "My name is Yuna."  
  
"Well, hello there." an amused Kinu replied. She'd been watching their interaction with placid interest. It was obvious to her that the little girl had the warrior she remembered as Auron wrapped around her little finger so to speak. This was a sight indeed. She withdrew from her thoughts just in time to see the little girl in question standing before her. "I'm Kinu."  
  
Yuna held out her hand, "Nice to meet you."  
  
"And you." Kinu responded and gently shook her offered hand.  
  
"You're pretty," Yuna said bright eyed.  
  
"Well…" Kinu acknowledged with a warm grin, "You're a cutie pie."  
  
"Night," a grinning Yuna waved before skipping off to bed.  
  
As Kinu watched the beautiful child disappear around the corner she felt Auron's eyes on her person. "Yes?"  
  
"You should be in bed," he said gruffly.  
  
"Perhaps," she acknowledged noting his rapid change in demeanor then made a mental note of this. "But first I need you to direct me to the bathroom."  
  
"The door is on your left," Auron gestured with his head and observed her as she made her way into the bathroom. He waited until the door had closed behind her before making his way towards Yuna's bedroom. "Humph."  
  
  
  
~~~ X ~~~  
  
A refreshed and relieved Kinu exited out of the bathroom just as Auron returned from putting Yuna to sleep. Again she felt his eyes boring through to her very being and finally confronted him on it. "Listen… Auron is it?  
  
The warrior in red only nodded.  
  
"I can tell you're very protective of your Lord and all," she commented, adding. "I have nothing against you nor him… and I guess by the way you're giving me that icy stare of yours I'm just wasting my breath… huh? "  
  
"Humph."  
  
"Ooo… you're one of those strong silent types," she teased playfully and soon realized from the look that she was getting that he wasn't the teasing type either. "Well… you know that a sense of humor really does the soul good."  
  
Auron just narrowed his eyes at this arrogant woman.  
  
"I see that making friends is rated low on your agenda." Kinu sighed at her attempt to break the ice then turned her attention on retrieving her clothes. "Now, if you would be kind enough to point me in the direction of my stuff so as I can make my leave."  
  
Auron made his way over to a hall closet pulled out a bag that held her clean uniform, a dozen or so shaken, a handful of metsubishi and tetsubishi, a pouch of fukibari and a kaiken. With his other hand he snatched up her katana along with a pair of sai's and her wakizashi then walked back to the ninja and placed the bag in her arms. "Everything's been cleaned and repaired," he stated and sat the weapons atop it.  
  
"All rightie then," Kinu said and was about to enter into the bedroom when she paused to thank him over a shoulder. "I want to… thank you for everything."  
  
Even the hard-edged Auron was taken back by the emotion in her voice. He simply stared at her retreating form for a moment longer debating if he was just a little bit hard on her after all. "Perhaps."  
  
  
  
~~~ X ~~~  
  
  
  
*** If you like the story and want me to continue… please drop me a line. ***  
  
Glossary of terms:  
  
Shinobi Shozoko = ninja uniform  
  
Shaken = throwing stars  
  
Metsubishi = are paper wrapped pouches filled with smoke powders, blinding powders etc.  
  
Tetsubishi = spiked caltrops (small spines to sting the sole of the foot)  
  
Fukibari = are needles carried in the mouth  
  
Kaiken = dirk  
  
Wakizashi = samurai's companion sword 


End file.
